Paola Suarez, Ph.D, Clinical Assistant Professor of Psychiatry & Biobehavioral Sciences, serves as an important member of the HNCE in her role as Co-director of the Cultural Neuropsychology Program. For the past two years, Dr. Suarez has served as a faculty member in the UCLA Department of Psychiatry and as Associate Director of the Cultural Neuropsychology Initiative. She was recently elected Chair of the Culture and Diversity Committee of the National Academy of Neuropsychology.
Diomaris Safi Psy.D, is a licensed psychologist specializing in neuropsychology and forensic
evaluations. She is fully bilingual in English and Spanish. Dr. Safi has extensive
experience in administering neuropsychological tests, diagnosing and treating
various psychological conditions, and providing case consultation.
Tedd Judd, PhD, ABPP-CN, is cross-cultural clinical and forensic neuropsychologist and consultant with 40 years of experience. He has evaluated clients from about 90 countries and has taught neuropsychology in 25 countries. He is Past President of the Hispanic Neuropsychological Society and a Certified Hispanic Mental Health Specialist. He teaches a practicum in non-English cross-cultural psychology. He is the academic co-director of Central America’s first Master’s degree in neuropsychology at the Universidad del Valle, Guatemala. He is board certified in neuropsychology and a Fellow of the National Academy of Neuropsychology. He offers criminal and civil forensic neuropsychology services. He also offers multicultural consultation, training, and mentoring to other professionals and institutions. He has published one book and over 20 book chapters and articles.
Xavier Cagigas, Ph.D. serves as Associate Director of the HNCE and Co-director of the Cultural Neuropsychology Program. Dr. Cagigas is the Founding Director of the UCLA Cultural Neuropsychology Initiative, Clinical Assistant Professor of Psychiatry & Biobehavioral Sciences, the former Director of Clinical Services & Training of the UCLA Medical Psychology Assessment Center (MPAC), and Immediate-Past President of the Hispanic Neuropsychological Society.
Marcel Ponton, Ph.D. is an Associate Clinical Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences at UCLA. He has led various clinics and services for the County of Los Angeles through Harbor UCLA for over two decades. Currently, he serves at Olive View Medical Center where he trains pre-doctoral and post-doctoral students. He is the author of multiple peer-reviewed articles and the co-author of two books in the area of cross-cultural neuropsychological assessment. He is a Fellow of the National Academy of Neuropsychology and the Founding President of the Hispanic Neuropsychological Society. He has been working in the field of head injury assessment and treatment for the past 30 years. He is the Clinical Director of Persona Neurobehavior Group in Pasadena where he focuses on the assessment and treatment of head injury patients. He consults with multiple rehabilitation hospitals in Southern California and he serves as an expert witness in medicolegal matters.
Adriana Strutt, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Neurology and Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine.
Dr. Santa Maria completed his Ph.D. at Louisiana State University then a postdoctoral fellowship in clinical neuropsychology through the State University of New York at Buffalo, Department of Neurology. He has published peer-reviewed research on topics including traumatic brain injury, and structural and functional brain imaging in multiple sclerosis. Dr. Santa Maria has handled several hundred forensic cases involving lead (Pb) exposure, and many others involving TBI and other conditions, with regular expert testimony. In 2018, Dr. Santa Maria published a review of the literature on the impact of lead (Pb) exposure on intelligence, academic achievement, and other aspects of cognition. Dr. Santa Maria serves as a consultant to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and National Football League (NFL). He has been in private practice in Buffalo, NY, for the past 19 years and lives there with his wife and three children.
Karen Postal is a past president of the American Academy of Clinical Neuropsychology. She is a clinical instructor at Harvard Medical school where she teaches postdoctoral fellows in neuropsychology. Her research focuses on improving communication about neuroscience with patients and the general public. She is the author of Feedback That Sticks: The Art of Communicating Neuropsychological Assessment Results and most recently, Testimony That Sticks: The Art of Communicating Psychology and Neuropsychology to Jurors. Dr. Postal also has a private practice dedicated to helping people think better in school, at work, and throughout later life. (The real bio: Karen Postal is a bit of a workaholic. She has two teenage sons and an 11-year-old daughter who is setting the world on fire. She loves to run and recently took up the drums.)